4. This sleazy rent-seeking by pharmaceutical companies would be costing my family a lot of money (half of us rely on albuterol inhalers), except that my wife’s company offers good health insurance — so the unnecessary higher cost of this price-gouging gets shared by everyone.

Before we buy into the false gospel of congregations as the singular salvific actors that are standing at the ready poised to rescue our collective needs in this economic disaster, we need to accurately assess their capacity to stretch beyond their current efforts, especially in the absence of government programs.

When we do, we may find that the burdens we expect them to shoulder will cause their collapse.

7. The crew of the Bourbon Peridot, an oil rig off the coast of Africa, perform a golden oldie from Toto (via). Well done, gentlemen: